With lots of hidden vegetables, lean ground turkey and plenty of flavourful seasonings, these ground turkey sloppy joes are a healthier sloppy joe recipe you’ll want to enjoy again and again! Perfect for an easy weeknight supper!
Hi friends!
Today I’m sharing another easy ground turkey recipe with you.
Hubby and I love these ground turkey sloppy joes. They’re unbelievably simple to whip up and are so delicious.
What I especially love about these bad boys is they have hidden veggies! You get an extra dose of goodness from shredded zucchini and carrot. So for those picky eaters, you could sneak some extra nutrition. How cool is that?
Ground turkey is not only relatively budget friendly, but it’s also lean and super tasty!
I tested out these ground turkey sloppy joes a whole bunch of times and now I’m so happy to be sharing with you.
Why We Love This Recipe
- They’re made with a leaner protein than the ground beef version.
- This recipe is made in one pan for easy cleanup.
- They sneak in veggies for extra nutrition.
- They taste delicious!
How To Make Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
Full details on how to make these sloppy joes are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
In a pan, cook onion and garlic in a little olive oil until softened a little. Add bell pepper, carrot and zucchini and cook just a little.
Add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook turkey until fully cooked through.
Pour in tomato paste, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, and water and simmer for a little until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Pile the ground turkey sloppy joe mixture onto buns and garnish to your heart’s content!
Can I Omit the Buns?
For sure! If you want to mix things up, nix the buns and try sloppy joe lettuce wraps. Boston lettuce works great here!
Garnish Ideas
- Shredded or sliced cheese
- Coleslaw or shredded cabbage
- Sliced pickle
- Pickled red onion or thinly sliced raw onion
- Pickled hot peppers or thinly sliced fresh peppers
What To Serve With Sloppy Joes
Any of these sides would be delicious served with turkey sloppy joes:
- Fries or potato wedges
- Pesto potatoes
- Side salad
- Roasted broccoli
- Coleslaw
- Potato salad
- Pickle
- Potato chips
- Tomato soup
Tips and Variations
- I prefer things not too loose or saucy, but if you want a looser consistency, simply add more water and reduce to your desired consistency.
- For an added kick, mix in more chili flakes.
- Don’t have balsamic vinegar? Mix in some cider vinegar instead.
- If you don’t happen to have zucchini on hand (or prefer not to use), simply replace it with more carrot.
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
If you make this healthier sloppy joe recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, cut into small dice
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated or shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 zucchini, shredded (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 ¾ cups
- 2 to 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup water, rinse out your empty can of tomato sauce and use that water
- 6 burger buns, cut in half horizontally (if not already precut)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat, then add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion has softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, carrot and zucchini. Cook, stirring often, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- To veggie mixture, add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder, paprika, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine everything. Cook turkey, breaking it into small pieces and stirring occasionally, until it's fully cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Once turkey is cooked, stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce and water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until you've reached your desired consistency.
- To serve, portion the sloppy joe mixture onto buns and garnish (if desired) with your favourite sloppy joe toppings or enjoy as is.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
vivian
Easy, delicious, and a step above the usual sloppy joe in terms of nutrition. Thanks for a great recipe!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much, Vivian!! I’m happy you enjoy the recipe!!
David @ Spiced
Slop, sloppy joe!! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself there…haha.) I love how you added zucchini in these to bulk ’em up a bit. Tricky, but excellent idea. I love sloppy joes! These are the epitome of comfort food…and you know we could all use some comfort food in these crazy times. Lookin’ delicious, my friend!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Lol!! Totally! Thanks David 🙂 Have a great week!
Marissa
These look so good and I happen to have all of the ingredients on hand. Yum! Hope that you, your hubby and Riley are doing well.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Awesome! Thanks Marissa! Same to you 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
I’m always up for hiding veggies from you know who Dawn! And we both totally enjoy sloppy joes! Can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Lol! Thanks Mary Ann! Enjoy 🙂
Leanne
We always make sloppy joes with ground turkey, but the sneaky carrots and zucchini are a great idea. I could get those in there and my hubby would never be the wiser! haha 😉 I hope you and your family are doing well and staying safe. Have a good weekend Dawn!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Leanne! Same to you!